Safer Sex Education: Common STIs + Symptoms
STIs and safe sex might feel like kind of a modern problem- however, that is anything but true. Hippocrates was writing about gonorrhea way back in 400 BC, Ancient Egyptians and Ancient Greeks wrote about using animal bladders as condoms, and condoms as we know them weren’t invented until the Industrial Revolution in the 1830s. Obviously, times have changed, so let’s get up to date! Read more as we cover all the most important information about STIs and safe sex today.
What is an STI?
STI stands for sexually transmitted infection. There are three types of STIs: parasitic, bacterial or viral. Almost all STIs are spread through unprotected sex when barrier methods (like condoms or dental dams) are not being used. As a reminder, condoms are the only form of birth control that also protects you from STIs! Don’t worry- we’ll go through the various types of infections, symptoms, and how to get treatment for them! STI is used to identify if someone is infected with a sexually transmitted illness, whereas STD is more used to describe the infection once symptoms are present. This is because you can be infected with a sexually transmitted illness without realizing it, as some infections don’t have symptoms.
What are the different types of Infection?
The three most common types are bacterial, viral, and parasitic. Let’s break down what this means and help build your confidence towards safe sex through education.
Bacterial (Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis)
Chlamydia
- How does it spread?
- Vaginal fluid and semen.
- What are the symptoms?
- There are often no symptoms of chlamydia. This is why it is important to get tested regularly- we’ll go more in-depth on this later.
- How do I treat it?
- Antibiotics.
Gonorrhea
- How does it spread?
- Vaginal fluid and semen.
- What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms for gonorrhea usually appear two weeks after infection. The symptoms differ slightly between men and women. People with a vagina may experience unusual discharge, pain in their lower abdomen, burning while peeing, and occasionally bleeding between periods. People with a penis may experience burning when peeing, testicular pain, or discharge from their penis.
Note: Gonorrhea is also able to infect other parts of your body, like your eyes, throat, and anus. Symptoms for this infection are discharge, pain or itching, a sore throat, and eye redness.
- How do I treat it?
- Antibiotics.
Syphilis
This can be more severe when left untreated than the other bacterial STIs. Gradually, your body will go through four stages of disease after infection if you don’t get treatment.
- How does it spread?
- Direct contact with a syphilis sore during unprotected vaginal, anal, or oral sex. Active syphilis sores can be hard to spot- they look kind of like a pimple or a scab.
- What are the symptoms?
- This might be a little overwhelming- we’ll go through this slowly to make sure you have all the necessary information to keep yourself and your partner safe. Syphilis often shows up in stages. The first stage takes place within 2-12 weeks of exposure and can show up as a small sore. After this stage, a rash will develop and you may present with flu-like symptoms or weight loss. The third and fourth stages of syphilis are the most damaging to the body. Find more information on syphilis here.
- How do I treat it?
- This probably sounds scary- but it is very simple to treat. For all stages, you just need a course of antibiotics. The length of treatment depends on the stage of disease, but the earlier you treat it the better.
Viral (HIV, Herpes, HPV, and Hepatitis)
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
- How does it spread?
- Vaginal fluid, rectal fluid, semen, breast milk, blood, and sharing needles when injecting drugs.
- What are the symptoms?
- Symptoms usually begin 2-4 weeks after infection and feel kind of like you have the flu or a bad cold. You will gradually get worse without treatment.
- How do I treat it?
- HIV is fully preventable with the right precautions. Check out our recent blog post for more information on HIV, prevention, and the treatments available. HIV is manageable with daily medication, but it is incurable.
Herpes (HSV-1 and HSV-2)
- How does it spread?
- Skin-to-skin contact with sores or bodily fluids like semen, vaginal fluid, or saliva. Herpes is very contagious when you have sores and is still contagious even if you don’t have sores- this is called viral shedding. This can be managed with medication.
- What are the symptoms?
- For genital herpes- the first symptoms feel kind of like the flu, but you will also have itching or burning in your genitals or anus, pain or burning while peeing, and eventually small blisters and ulcers. For oral herpes- tingling on your lips, tongue, or the inside of your mouth that turn into blisters.
- How do I treat it?
- Herpes is incurable. You can take medication daily to decrease the chance of you passing it to a partner or other people, or you can take medication during a breakout to shorten the length of time.
HPV (human papillomavirus)
- How does it spread?
- It is not spread through bodily fluids, only by skin-to-skin contact with warts on an infected person. It can be spread even while someone doesn’t look or feel sick.
- What are the symptoms?
- Often, there are no obvious symptoms. If symptoms show up, it is through small bumps or warts that kind of look like cauliflower.
- How do I treat it?
- The first line of defense for HPV is a vaccine. The vaccine available for HPV protects you from the most common strains. While there is no cure for HPV, many people find the virus is cleared from their body after two or so years from our immune system being hard at work.
Note: Some strains of HPV can lead to cancer if left untreated. The best way to protect yourself is through the vaccine.
Hepatitis
- How does it spread?
- Vaginal fluid, semen, blood, and sharing needles when injecting drugs.
- What are the symptoms?
- People infected with hepatitis might not show symptoms for years. Like the other infections mentioned, flu-like symptoms are common. Other symptoms like jaundice, joint or muscle pain, or a change in urine and stool color.
- How do I treat it?
- Treatment is different depending on if you have Hep A, B, or C. Overall, the most common way to treat it is vaccination.
Parasitic
Trichomoniasis (trich)
- How does it spread?
- Vaginal fluids and semen. Trich is contagious, but many people don’t have symptoms and can unknowingly spread it.
- What are the symptoms?
- For people with vaginas, symptoms are most often unusual discharge and odor, irritation and soreness near the vagina, and pain during sex or while peeing. For people with a penis, symptoms are less common but can be discharge from your penis, pain while peeing, burning after ejaculation, or what feels like itching inside your penis.
- How do I treat it?
- Antibiotics are the most effective treatment.
How can I help decrease the spread of STIs?
There is a ton of information available online that can make STIs and sexual health feel overwhelming- we want you to feel fully capable and confident in your sexual health and we know education is the first step. So you might be asking yourself, how can I prevent the spread of STIs? Getting tested regularly, being vaccinated and using condoms consistently are the most important things you can do to protect yourself from STIs. Regular testing can catch anything early so you can treat it quickly and can help you keep your partner informed on their own sexual wellness too.
Want to learn more? Visit this website and use our provider finder here to help you take the first step in getting tested.
